


Shin Lim and the World's Greatest Card Trick Routine of All Time, Ever

by Uskius



Category: Fool Us, Penn & Teller RPF, Shin Lim - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Magic Tricks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 01:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18436514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uskius/pseuds/Uskius
Summary: Shin Lim makes his third appearance on Penn & Teller's Fool Us. He pulls out all the stops in his attempt to go three for three- can he do it?





	Shin Lim and the World's Greatest Card Trick Routine of All Time, Ever

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times-”

“And you better hope you have a good bodyguard,” Penn joked, finishing for Alyson. 

“Alrighty then!” Alyson fake cleared her throat. “Our next guest needs no introduction, but we put together a short video package anyways. Here is Shin Lim!” The simple video package plays, with Shin Lim doing a few flourishes and holding up a card as he narrates what he’s been up to since his last Fool Us appearance. At the end of the package Shin snaps his fingers, and the card he held up disappears in a puff of smoke.

Shin waves to the audience, then motions for Penn and Teller to join him onstage at the table. Opening up a pack of cards, he spreads it out on the table and waves them face up, showing what looks to be a normal deck. Penn nods, and when Shin flips them back over, the backs of the cards now read “Please pick this card! --->” spread across them. Teller smiles, and Penn huffs, “The nerve!” and picks the first card with a partial P on its back instead of the one next to the arrow.

“Okay, fair enough,” Shin says with a wry grin. “Memorize it; show it to the camera but don’t let me see it.” Penn does so, also showing it to Teller- it’s the Four of Diamonds-, and when Shin motions to put the card back at a random point, he does so. Shin then flips the spread over again, revealing the normal card backs instead of the numbers. He quickly picks them up and gives them a riffle and a bridge, then doing a waterfall flourish- and as he does so, a single card leaps out to the side and lands face down on the table. He ignores it and continues to cut and mix the deck, but Teller gives him a playful scolding look, and points to the card. “Oh, that one? Why don’t you go ahead and look at it, just to make sure it isn’t your card already. It’s too early right now.” Penn and the audience laugh, and Teller reaches over to pick up the card.

Confusion settles in on Teller’s face, and he looks to Shin as he slides it over to Penn, who says “What?” as he looks at it briefly, then holds it up for the cameras: “Penn, please take out the first bill in your wallet and check the serial number.” The audience gives an “Ooh!” as Penn does so, slapping it onto the table. It’s an old twenty, and Penn reads the serial number: “B zero three zero seven two nine three six.”

“Okay. Would you accept the jokers counting as zeroes?” Shin asked.

“Why not.”

“Thank you.” Shin turns the deck numbers up, and hands it to Teller. “Teller, would you mind dealing out the cards face up onto the table, so that you make one pile of cards with the serial numbers- but only if the ones besides the jokers are black, because of that B at the beginning- and the rest into another?” Nodding, Teller begins dealing, getting the serial numbers in a mix of Clubs and Spades after going through a little over half the deck. Carefully squaring up the pile with his fingertips, Shin moves them towards the center of the table, and then spreads the cards out and flips them over. The audience gasps at seeing text on the back of the cards again, which this time reads, “Teller, please take Penn’s bill and buy any snack from the lobby vending machine.” Teller is seen mouthing “What the Hell?” but Penn nods for him to go, which he does after a shrug. “Now, while Teller is away, I’m going to turn my back,” Shin says as he mixes the serial number pile back into the deck and hands it over to Penn. “Don’t do it out loud where I can hear, but Penn, just have a look at the deck, going through it card by card to make sure your card isn’t there.” 

Penn eagerly snatches up the deck as Shin turns his back. He briefly holds up each card for the camera, going through the deck at a slow but steady pace. He becomes increasingly baffled and exasperated as the search goes on. “It’s not there,” Penn sighs, sliding the deck back towards the middle of the table. “The card isn’t in the deck.” Shin looks up at the big screen, which now shows Teller at the vending machine, and he motions for Penn to see.

“Mister Teller! Can you hear us alright?” Shin asks. Teller nods. “Alright, go ahead and get something.” Scanning his options again, Teller goes for a honey bun, holding it up and shrugging. “Okay, come on back, we need you out here! Everybody let’s give Teller a round of applause!” 

The audience obliges, and Penn asks Shin, “You were just hungry, weren’t you?”

“No, no,” Shin laughs, waving his hand. “The snack isn’t for me. Now, Mister Penn: let’s do a little invisible magic while we’re waiting for Teller to get back. I’ve got this Sharpie,” Shin says, taking the marker out from his pocket, “So could you make a little mark or signature on my hand?” Penn holds the Sharpie at an arm’s length and makes a squiggle on Shin’s palm, before capping the marker and setting it down. “I’ve got my invisible deck here,” Shin says, patting the air over the table, “And I’ll transfer Penn’s doodle to one of the invisible cards.” Shin holds his hand low over the table, then asks, “Does this card have your mark?” Holds his palm up towards Penn, and on it is a physical, visible card.

“Uh, no, that’s the Three of Clubs.”

“How about this one?

“Jack of Hearts.”

“And this one?”

“Eight of Spades! Plain and unmarked like the others.”

“Okay, okay. What about this card?”

“That’s-” Penn pauses, as Shin didn’t produce a physical card- and, as he sees now, the scribble he made on Shin’s palm has disappeared. Shin shows his blank palm to the audience, who gives an appreciative ooh and round of applause. Teller is now back in the room, and returns to his seat at the table.

“Wonderful! Thank you, Mister Teller. Now, those three invisible cards are still right there. Penn, would you mind fanning out the deck real quick to make sure that they aren’t doubles, and that that they’re not in the deck?” Penn fans out the deck as asked, and after poring over the cards for a moment, shakes his head.

“Those are the ones from the deck.” Shin carefully collects them and squares up all the cards by the edges.

“Alright! Now, Teller, go ahead and open up your snack and take a few bites,” Shin asks. 

Teller opens up the Honey Bun with a smile on his face and takes a big bite, but a look of confusion and surprise comes over him. He quickly takes a few smaller bites, which reveal the edge of a card. Pulling it out, Teller shakes his head and holds it up for Penn and the cameras, revealing that it read, “Play my video package again.” Shock washes over the audience, and the simple and unassuming package plays, exactly as it did the first time- only now, the audience shrieks in terror and delight as they recognize the card that vanishes in a puff of smoke.

“NO! No, you can’t just do that to us! That is the oldest trick in the book that we wrote!” Penn objects. Dramatic music begins to play quietly, and smoke and light pour out of Shin’s mouth, which he cups in a hand- then with a shake, a card solidifies from the smoke.

“Penn, is this the card?” Shin asks, revealing the Four of Diamonds.

“Sure looks like the card that you had prepared-” Shin cuts Penn’s rant short by taking his fingers from over the card and holding it by the edges, revealing the doodle that Penn had originally drawn on his palm was now on the card. Penn stands and flips the desk, swearing loudly. He beckons Teller over, and the two begin conversing in intense whispers. Alyson hesitantly walks over, but Penn stops her short. “Teller, could you check the cards, and look for the serial number ones?” Shin glances between them and then stands the desk right side up as Teller began his search. “This is the absolute last. Time. I am staking my entire career on this one- if I’m wrong, I’m packing up and moving to Myrtle Beach! That was the dirtiest force I have ever seen- EVER- and there’s no way I’m gonna let you throw a little razzle dazzle on top of it and fool us!”

Teller comes back to the table, and puts the serial number cards on it, looking at Shin expectantly. Shin shakes out his hands and lets Penn and Teller inspect them before flipping them over. Penn takes a quick glance down at the cards and slams his fists down on the table, and Teller holds his head in his hand- the cards now read, “Play my video package again- and this time, all of it.” The intro video plays out again the same as it had the previous two times, but after the smoke and card are gone, Shin pulls out a pair of needle-nose pliers from his pants, and then very carefully unbuttons his vest pocket and reaches into with the pliers. He slowly pulls out a card, numbers facing towards the camera: the Four of Diamonds, complete with Penn’s doodle. Teller hurries back to the scattered cards and finds the four, and hands it to Penn, who flips it over and finds “Have I fooled you now?” on the back. Penn curls into the fetal position and begins to sob, and Teller dejectedly motions to bring the trophy down.


End file.
